Why Get Certified?

Be recognised, get your product certified

Benefits

GECA recognises sustainability leadershipGECA’s ecolabel on your products and services provides an independent tick to specifiers and purchasers that your products and services are better for the environment and reduce their impact on human health.

GECA certification provides a competitive edgeThe GECA ecolabel on your product and service indicates a good environmental choice and can create new opportunities for your business. We have over 2000 products certified - far more than any other scheme in Australia.

The GECA ecolabel is evidence of your world-class best practiceOur standards are developed following ISO 14024 principles for global best practice in ecolabelling and therefore certification acts as solid evidence that your product or service meets world-class environmental standards.

GECA promotes its licensees and their certified productsOur work to educate the market about the value of ecolabels goes hand-in-hand with building recognition of the positive work licensees are doing. With GECA certification also comes added marketing in line with connecting your environmentally preferable products or services to the wider community. Visit our Resources page to see recent media coverage.

Avoid greenwashing and make it easier for consumers

Doubt that environmental claims are genuine, or working out which claims are important can be a major barrier to the purchasing of green products.

As a consumer we’ve all been there — standing in front of a shelf full of products at the supermarket, trying to figure out which one to buy. And looking at the claims on the pack often makes it even more confusing.

A picture of a leaf that alludes to greenness doesn’t necessarily carry any validity. Or deciphering whether bamboo sourced overseas is more sustainable than a timber sourced in Australia is complex. Research takes time — a luxury the average individual doesn’t have.

There are many factors to take into account for a product to be better for the environment. Its environmental impacts throughout its life, from manufacture to use and disposal — including longevity of life and toxicity — need to be considered to give a true picture; it needs to address more than just one or two of these. Without robust third-party standards, there’s no accurate way to assess environmental impact with certainty, and furthermore; no standards to measure it against.

Third-party ecolabels such as GECA exist to reduce environmental impact through providing stringent standards to which products must adhere in order to label themselves as green. GECA certification is trusted, rigorous and relevant.

GECA recognises that it’s simply not good enough for manufacturers to make their own claims as to their products’ greenness or for them to decide which things are important in making such claims. Verifying your environmental performance claims will help you avoid greenwashing or misrepresenting yourself to consumers.

GECA is recognised by the GBCA's Green Star program

GECA was the first scheme to be recognised under the Green Building Council of Australia's (GBCA) Assessment Framework for Product Certification Schemes. GECA certified products are rewarded in Green Star Material Calculators and will be rewarded under the new Fitout Calculators.

Since 1 July 2010, the credit obtained for GECA certified products is determined by when the Green Star project was registered with the GBCA: prior to 1 July 2010 or on or after 1 July 2010. Further changes will occur once GBCA Fitout Calculators come into effect.

(Please note that further information on Green Star Points for Furniture and Fittings Products is detailed in a separate table following)

Green Star Points for GBCA-recognised standards

Green Star Points for GBCA-recognised standards

Green Star Points for Furniture and Fittings Products

In the case of three versions of the GECA 28 Furniture and Fittings Standard released since 2007 (one in 2007 and two updates in 2010), the following points and recognition apply:

GECA certified products count towards ISCA's IS ratings

The Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA) is the peak industry body for advancing sustainability in Australia’s infrastructure. ISCA is a member-based, not-for-profit industry council and works to advance sustainability in infrastructure planning, procurement, delivery and operation through its IS rating scheme. The scheme recognises GECA as an environmental labelling body and therefore rewards project proponents who source GECA certified products and are seeking an IS Certification.

IS assesses and rates projects’ sustainability performances by addressing six themes, which have 15 categories and a total of 51 credits. Ratings are expressed as a score on a 100 point scale with scores of:

25 – 49 points being classed as good

50 – 74 being excellent and

75 – 100 being leading performance

All benchmark levels are intended to reflect beyond business and usual performance. The themes and categories are:

Under the Mat-2 credit in the Materials category, points are available for projects undertaking AsBuilt and Operation ratings that use environmentally labelled products from environmental labelling bodies or stewardship schemes, including GECA certified products. The aim of the credit is to reward procurement of major materials that have environmental labels or are from sustainable supply chains.

Use of GECA certified products can potentially result in 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 points being awarded towards the overall rating of the infrastructure project.

Level 1: one material or product is GECA certified

Level 2: 10-20 per cent of materials or products by value are GECA certified

Level 3: more than 20 per cent of materials or products by value are GECA certified

Further information about ISCA and the IS tool is available on the ISCA website, which can be found here.

Upcoming Event

SEE Sustainable Experience 2015

June 18, 2015 midnight

To be held in Brisbane 18 - 20 June 2015, SEE Sustainable Experience is focussed on protecting and promoting Queensland’s built environment by providing a unique showcase of sustainable products and solutions underpinned by education.

Latest News

Parramatta City Council chooses GECA certified Aspect Furniture

March 23, 2015

Parramatta City Council recently chose to use GECA certified furniture from Aspect Furniture Systems for its new Rydalmere Operations Centre. The council chose the 'Zurich 4' workstation, which is certified under GECA's Furniture, Fittings and Foam standard, demonstrating a lower environmental, health and social impact.

Latest News

New licensee: Novofibre

March 19, 2015

We're very pleased to welcome Novofibre as our latest licensee! Novofibre's key point of difference lies in its construction. The board is made from wheat straw and natural fibres, as well as formaldehyde-free p-MDI adhesive. It's a more sustainable solution to traditional wood panels and is now certified with GECA.

Latest News

CSR Gyprock first licensee under new adhesives standard

March 19, 2015

Plasterboard manufacturer CSR Gyprock has achieved another first for green building, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to sustainable manufacturing processes. Gyprock is proudly the first manufacturer to be accredited under GECA's new Adhesives, Fillers and Sealants standard, released in September 2014.

Latest News

New licensee: Arthur G

March 16, 2015

GECA is pleased to welcome furniture designer and manufacturer, Arthur G, after several products met all the criteria of the Furniture and Fittings standard. Arthur G has a wide range of beautifully-styled furniture items - and they all have a lower impact on the environment and human health.

Latest News

An ecolabel for tile and stone: what you need to know

March 9, 2015

What are the benefits of having an ecolabel for tile and stone manufacturers? What's involved in the process - and how will certification affect sales? GECA recently spoke to Tile Today magazine to answer the important questions surrounding obtaining an ecolabel for tile and/or stone products.

Latest News

GECA releases new refrigerants standard

March 9, 2015

A new standard for refrigerants from GECA has been released and is accepting applications for certification. GECA’s Refrigerants standard has been updated, with revised criteria to set new environmental benchmarks and reflect industry changes. Refrigerant manufacturers can choose to have their products certified against this standard to demonstrate their environmental, health and ethical credentials.

Latest News

The Sustainable Carpet Buying Guide

Feb. 27, 2015

Despite their soft and cosy feeling under our feet, carpets can have a range of environmental and health impacts just like any other product. In fact, they can have considerably different criteria involved when it comes to assessing their environmental or health impacts compared to other types of flooring materials.

Latest News

New product: the Physix Chair from Unifor

Feb. 23, 2015

Unifor have added a stylish new addition to their list of GECA licensed furniture - the Physix Chair. It's a fusion of form and function, where ergonomic structure meets modern aesthetics. It's also a better choice for the environment, human health, and has a lower social impact, since it meets all the criteria of GECA's Furniture, Fittings and Foam standard.

Latest News

New licensee: Brownbuilt

Feb. 2, 2015

GECA is pleased to announce that steel office furniture manufacturer Brownbuilt is now a licensee! A range of furniture items successfully passed through the audit process and meet all the requirements of GECA's Furniture, Fittings and Foam standard.

Latest News

GECA releases new paper and recycled product standards

Jan. 19, 2015

Three new standards for paper and recycled products from Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) have been released and are accepting products for certification. GECA’s Paper and Stationery Products, Sanitary Paper Products and Recycled Products standards have been updated from previous standards, with an expanded scope and revised criteria to set new environmental benchmarks for the products they cover.

Latest News

GECA appoints Director of Strategy and Director of Innovation

Dec. 11, 2014

Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) has welcomed two new senior leaders to help it better fulfil it’s mission to drive a substantial increase in the sustainability of consumption. Anna Scott has been appointed as Director of Innovation and Ben Waters as Director of Strategy. Anna and Ben will work with the GECA team to explore innovative ways to transform business and consumer demand for sustainable products and services.